Electric motor control apparatus



Nov. 30, 1948.

R. H. GRlEsT ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTROL APPAAATS" NIC ROA HUE TE R Filed June 12, 1945 Morn ournur :uur

/NVE/v TOR y H. GR/EST ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 30, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTROL APPARATUS Application J une 12, 1945, Serial No. 598,997

3 Claims.

This invention relates to electric control apparatus and particularly to such apparatusA for setting up a. voltage for controlling the energization of an electric motor in response to angular displacement of a shaft.

It is frequently desired to s et up a current or voltage the direction and polarity of which, respectively, correspond to the direction of rotation of al shaft and the magnitude of which is substantially proportional to the speed of the shaft. For example, in. a control system. in which there is set up in response to displacement of an input or handwheel y.shaft and impressed upon a motor for causing it to drive an output shaft a control current t-he direction of which changes with change of direction of rotation of the hand7 wheel shaft, the motor speed, and therefore the speed of the output shaft, may not be proportional to the control current. In the improved control system disclosed herein there is therefore provided means for generating and impressing upon the input of the motor control circuit in opposition to said control current a feedback current substantially proportional to the speed ofthe output shaft. There is also provided means under control of a second input shaft for changing the ratio of the feedback current to the speed of the output shaft.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved apparatus for supplying electric energy the magnitude of which is substantially proportional to the speed of a sha-ft and the direction or polarity of which corresponds to the direction of rotation of the shaft.

Another object is to provide improved apparatus for controlling the rotation of a motordriven shaft in response to dis-placement of a control shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for causing the rotation of a motor-.driven shaft under control of displace- :nent of a plurality of independent control shafts.

In the drawing, Fig. l is a schematic view of a motor control system embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is` a schematic View of a modification of a portion of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, there is disclosed a system for controlling the energization of a direct current motor I0, and thereby the rotation of an output shaft II to which may be coupled a device to be driven by the motor, in response to angular displacement of an input shaft l2 Which may be rotated by means of a handwheel I3 secured thereto. Direct current is supplied to the motor I0 from the output of a differential, direct current amplifier III, the amplitude of the current varying with the voltage to which a condenser I5, connected across its input terminals, is charged and the direction of the current being reversed in response to a reversal of the polarity of the voltage across the terminals of condenser I5. If desired, of course, a two-phase alternating current motor may be employed having alternating cur.-l rent of fixed amplitude and phase impressed upon one of its windings, the phase and amplitude of the alternating current supplied to its other winding varying in accordance with the polarity and magnitude, respectively, of the voltage at the output of amplier I4 or of the voltage across condenser I5. There is provided a potentiometer comprising a resistance member IB which may be Wound upon an annular forrn and a movable con-1 tact member I'I which is coupled through gearing I8 to the input shaft I2 but electrically insulated therefrom. The terminals of a battery I9 are connected to the end terminals of the potentiometer resistance member I6 and the mid-terminal of the potentiometer resistance member l5 is grounded. The contact member Il of the potentiometer is connected through a resistor 2B to the ungrounded terminal of condenser I5.

When the shaft I2 is in a reference position such that the contact member Il makes contact With the mid-terminal of potentiometer resistance member I6, both terminals of condenser l5 are at ground potential, no current is supplied from amplier I4 to motor I0 and the output shaft II of the motor is stationary. When the handwheel shaft I2 is displaced in one direction from the reference position, current is supplied from battery I9 for charging the condenser I in one direction and, when the handwheel shaft is displaced in the opposite direction from the reference position, current is supplied from battery I9 for charging the condenser I5 in the op7 posits, direction, the voltage in the condenser charging Circuit varying in a desired marmer with respect to the displacement of the .Shaft I2 from the reference position.

The condenser I5 is also connected in a second circuit in which is set up a voltage of such polarity as to tend to cause the voltage across condenser I5 to decrease. This second circuit comprises a condenser 2I of relatively small capacity, known as a dipper condenser, and may include a microammeter 22 for indicating the average current flowing in the circuit which is substantially proportional to the average voltage set up across the condenser 2l and the speed of the shaft The resistance of this circuit, including that of the meter 22, is represented by the resistance element 23. The voltage to which condenser I5 is charged is maintained small with respect to the Voltage to which condenser 2| be comes charged so that the discharge of condenser 2| into the discharge circuit, as will be further described below, is not appreciably affected by the prior charge on condenser I5. rThere is provided a cam switch 3U comprising a cam 3| driven by the motor l0, four pairs of contacts i, 2, 3 and 4, and two pairs of armatures 32 and 33 which are actuated by cam followers 34 and 35, respectively, the pair of armatures 32 being associated with contacts l and 3 and the pair of armatures 33 being associated with contacts 2 and 4. When the motor drives the cam 3| in the counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in the figure, circuits are completed through the pairs of contacts I, 2, 3 and 4 repeatedly in that order. When the direc tion of rotation of the motor is reversed, the circuits are completed in the reverse order, that is, through the pair of contacts i, 4, S and 2 repeatedly in that order. A battery 4S having its negative terminal grounded is provided for supplying current for charging the condenser 2|. There is provided a potentiometer having a resistance winding 46 connected across the terminals of battery 49 and a contact member 4l engaging the resistance member 46. The contact member 47 is coupled through gearing 43 to a shaft 42 which may be angularly displaced by turning a handwheel 43 secured to the shaft 42. The potential of the lead 4|) connected to the contact member 4l with respect to that of the grounded lead 4| may thus be varied, if desired, by displacing the shaft 42 by means oi' the handwheel 43 in one direction or the other.

It will be noted that one contact of each of pairs i and 3 is connected to the lead 40, that one contact of each of pairs 2 and 4 is connected to lead 44 and that the remaining contacts are connected to ground by way of lead 4I or lead 45. When a charging circuit for condenser 2| is completed through switch contacts condenser 2| is charged with its upper plate positive with respect to its lower plate, as viewed in the figure, and when the condenser is charged through a circuit completed through contacts 3, the polarity of the voltage across the condenser 2| is reversed. An advantage of charging the condenser 2| alternately in opposite directions is that any small residual charge which remains at the time that the condenser is disconnected from the discharge circuit will be removed when the condenser is subsequently connected to the charging circuit. If for a given direction of rotation of motor il) the charging of condenser 2| were always in the same direction, the average discharge current would slowly increase by a small amount and therefore, the discharge current would not be accurately proportioned to the speed of output shaft |I. Charging condenser 2| alternately in opposite directions removes the eilect of the residual charge and thereby increases the accuracy of the control. When a circuit is completed from condenser 2| to the terminals of condenser I5 through switch contacts 2, the lower plate of condenser 2| is connected through lead 44 and microammeter 22 to the upper plate of condenser I5, the upper plate of condenser 2| being connected to ground through lead 45, and when the circuit is completed through switch contacts 4, the upper plate of condenser 2| is connected to lead 44 and the lower plate to lead 45.

Therefore, when the shaft I3 is displaced from the reference position in a direction to cause condenser |5 to be charged so that its upper plate becomes positive with respect to its grounded lower plate and, as a result the motor I0 is energized to cause output shaft to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, for example, the circuits will be closed through the pairs of switch contacts I, 2, 3, 4 in succession in that order. Assuming for the present that shaft 42 is in a xed position, the condenser 2| will become charged to a certain voltage through a circuit comprising the pair of contacts I. When the pair of armatures 32 is in neutral position and the pair of armatures 33 is brought into engagement with the pair of contacts 2, a circuit including meter 22 and condenser i5 will be completed for discharging condenser 2|. When this discharge circuit is closed, the positive terminal of condenser 2| is connected to the grounded terminal of condenser i5, and the negative terminal of condenser 2| is connected to the positive terminal of condenser |5. rIhus the discharge current of condenser 2I is in such a direction as to cause the charge on condenser l5 to decrease during the discharging periods of condenser 2|.

A circuit is next completed through contacts 3 to charge the condenser 2| in the opposite direction, that is, with its lower plate positive. When a circuit is next closed through contacts 4, the condenser 2| is again discharged through the discharge circuit in such a direction as to cause the charge on condenser I5 to be reduced. When the shaft i2 is displaced in the opposite direction from the reference position, the condenser I5 is charged in a direction to make its upper plate negative with respect to ground, to cause the motor lil` to drive the output shaft |I in the reverse direction, and to cause the cam switch contacts to be closed in succession in the reverse order. As before, the discharge current of condenser 2| is in such a direction as to tend to reduce thecharge on condenser I5.

When the position of shaft 42, and therefore the setting of potentiometer 46, is xed, the average current flowing in the discharge circuit of condenser 2| and meter 22 is proportional to the frequency of repetition of the alternate charging and discharging of condenser 2| and, therefore, proportional to the speed of output shaft II. When the displacement of shaft I2 from the reference position is increased, for example, to cause the charging current from source I9 flowing into condenser 5 to increase, the voltage across condenser I5 increases to cause the speed of motor IU to in-crease. The discharge current of condenser 2| thus increases until such time as the average discharge current which tends to reduce the voltage across condenser i5 is equal to the average current from source i9 flowing into condenser I5, at which time the average voltage across condenser l5 is constant, and the motor runs at a constant speed determined by the setting of potentiometer I6. Similarly, when the displacement of shaft l2 is decreased, the average current flowing from source I9 into condenser I5 decreases to cause the voltage across the condenser and the speed of motor lil to decrease until the average current in the discharge circuit has decreased to a value equal to the average current from source i9 flowing into condenser I5. The maximum voltage to which condenser |5 is charged should preferably be as small a fraction of the voltage to which condenser 2| is charged as the largest percentage error allowable in the speed control. In order to maintain the voltage across condenser I5 at a relatively small maximum value the capacitance of condenser I5 should be as much larger than that of condenser 2| as is possible without sacrificing sensitivity. The resistance of the charging and discharging circuits of condenser 2| should be sufficiently low that the condenser will be substantially completely charged and discharged each cycle at the highest speed of motor I reached during operation. Under these conditions the speed of motor I!) and output shaft will vary inversely with the voltage in the charging circuit of condenser 2| and, therefore, where this voltage is proportional to the displacement `of shaft 42, the speed of shaft will vary inversely with the displacement of shaft 42.

If for some reason, an increase of load for example, the motor I0 is running at less than the correct speed corresponding to a certain setting of input shaft I2, the feedback current, that is the current proportional to the repetition rate at which condenser 2| is charged and discharged, is reduced thus increasing the voltage across condenser |5 and therefore the voltage across the input terminals of amplifier I4'. The energization of motor 0 is thus increased to bring it up to the correct speed. In a similar manner the energization of motor I0 is reduced if it tends to run at a speed higher than the correct speed corresponding to a certain displacement of the control shaft I2.

In some cases it may be desired to change the ratio of the feedback current to the speed of output shaft II. This may be done by displacing the shaft 42 by means of handwheel 43 to change the setting of potentiometer 46, thus changing the voltage to which condenser 2| is repeatedly charged.

There may be employed, instead of the cam l switch of Fig. 1, a switching arrangement of the type shown in Fig. 2. In accordance with this modification there is employed a switch arm 50 coupled to the shaft of motor I0 but electrically insulated therefrom. The dipper condenser 2| is mounted on the switch arm 50 and the terminals thereof are conductively connected to the brushes at the ends of the switch arm, respectively. The leads 4|) and 4| are connected to a pair of diametrically opposed contacts I while the leads 44 and 45 are connected to the diametrically opposed contacts 4. As the motor shaft rotates, therefore, the condenser 2| will 'be alternately connected to a -charging circuit comprising leads 40 and 4| and a discharging circuit comprising leads 4'4 and 45. A similar arrangement employing two switch arms and two dipper condensers, one associated with each switch arm, may be employed if desired. In this case one of the dipper condensers is connected to the charging circuit and the other dipper condenser is simultaneously -connected to the discharging circuit.

What is claimed is:

l. In combination, a motor, a first condenser of relatively large capacity, means responsive to the charge on said first condenser for controlling the energization of said motor to control its speed in accordance with the voltage across said first condenser and to control its direction of rotation in accordance with the polarity of the voltage across said first condenser, means for charging said rst condenser comprising in series with said condenser a resistance means and a source of voltage the polarity and magnitude of which may be changed, a second condenser of relatively small capacity, means under control of said motor for alternately charging said second condenser and for discharging said second condenser during intervals separating successive charging periods through a circuit comprising said first condenser, the alternate charging and discharging of said second condenser being at a rate proportional to the speed of said motor, the voltages of said rst and second condenser being in aiding relationship to cause the charge on said rst condenser to decrease during said discharging intervals of said second condenser, thereby causing the motor to run in a direction determined by the polarity of the voltage of said source at a speed proportional to the magnitude of the voltage of said source.

2. A combination in accordance with claim l in which there is provided means for varying the voltage to which said second condenser is intermittently charged to control the ratio of the speed of said motor to the magnitude of the voltage of said source.

3. Means for controlling the speed and direction of rotation of a motor comprising an energizing circuit for said motor including a first condenser of relatively large capacity, a charging circuit for said first condenser including a source of voltage, a, control shaft, means for controlling the polarity of the voltage from said source in said charging circuit in accordance with the direction of displacement of said control shaft from a fixed reference position and for controlling the magnitude of said voltage in accordance with the amount of the displacement of said control shaft from said xed reference position, a second condenser of relatively small capacity, means controlled by said motor for intermittently charging said second condenser alternately in opposite directions and for discharging said condenser during periods separating successive charging periods through a, circuit comprising said rst condenser to thereby reduce the charge on said first condenser, the repeated charging and discharging of said second condenser occurring at a rate proportional to the motor speed, thereby causing the motor speed to be proportional to the displacement of said control shaft from said reference position.

RAYMOND H. GRIEST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Oct. 16, 1942 Number Number 

